A New Way of Getting Children to Sleep
January 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 2-From the author of The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep, this is the second book in a series that is said to have a "sleep-promoting" effect on children (and adults). Ellen the Elephant takes readers on a long journey through a magical and "sleepy" forest while introducing a host of drowsy characters along the way. The story line is choppy, and all of the character interactions revolve around the end goal of sleep for this tired elephant. The illustrations are unexceptional and do little to enhance the narrative. The book begins with instructions to readers and explains when text should be emphasized and when it should be read in a more soothing tone. The prose is also marked with specific breaks where readers are prompted to yawn in order to induce sleep. A Q&A section in the back urges readers to adapt the title to fit the needs of each child. VERDICT Instructional in nature, this selection will interest parents who are desperate to get their little ones to sleep. However, any classic bedtime story will do a better job of creating that special bedtime bonding experience.-Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2017
Elephant Ellen takes the reader through a "magical forest to the place where you sleep." Of course a child listening to this interminable book (follow-up to The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep) will fall asleep: it's mind-deadeningly dull. "Instructions to the Reader" make clear that this book is an attempt not at literature but at coercion (and relieving beleaguered parents of--the horror!--an awake child).
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)